Second health insurance company decides premium

Health insurance companies use surplus to pay for premiums

09/20/2012

Further health insurance company ready to pay premiums to its members. In addition to the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), the Hanseatic Health Insurance Fund (HKE) has now declared that it will use the current surpluses of millions to pay premiums to the insured.

Since the statutory health insurance (GKV) has recorded a surplus in the millions, there is a lot of discussion in the industry and on the part of politicians about the use of funds. Several times had Federal Health Minister Daniel Bahr (FDP) asked the health insurance companies to distribute the surplus in the form of premiums to the insured. Last week, Techniker Krankenkasse was the first to announce a premium distribution. Yesterday, the Hanseatic health insurance company moved in and reported to distribute the net income almost in full to their insured. On the key date, the first of May 2013, all members of the HKE are to receive a premium of € 75 - regardless of how long they have been insured with HKE, according to the health insurance company.

75 Euro premium per member at the Hanseatic Health Insurance Fund
While at the Techniker Krankenkasse the Management Board has not yet proposed a clear amount of the premiums to be paid out, but leaves this decision to the Board of Directors meeting in mid-October in a special meeting, the persons responsible at HKE go one step further. Although the Board of Directors will decide definitively on the distribution of premiums only in October, the Finance Committee has already set the proposed level in its recommendation. Each of the approximately 300,000 HKE members is to receive € 75 in the coming month. As this applies to all insured persons who have taken out health insurance with HKE until the end of April 2013, the HKE obviously hopes for a competitive advantage, which could lead to a significant increase in membership in the coming months. Other statutory health insurance companies have already protested massively against the premium distribution, as they believe the funds could be used more meaningfully for a further improvement of the range of services. (Fp)

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Image: Claudia Hautumm